Ruling BJP won three- including that of incumbent Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha- out of four by poll bound assembly constituencies. The victory was not surprising but it did come with an Achilles’ heel- losing the prestigious 6-Agartala seat to Sudip Roy Barman who left the BJP and fought it out from Congress and made it through.
The elections had been held on June 23 and the counting was conducted on Sunday at UK Academy, Kamalpur Class XII School, and BBI in Dharmanagar amid massive security arrangements.
Though the elections were muti-cornered, ultimately as it turned out the fight was fought largely in between BJP and Congress leaving the Left Front to the third position and Trinamool Congress which came here with a ‘Didi ke chai’ ( Tripura wants Mamata Banerjee-didi) slogan reduced to a very negligible position.
What is striking this time is that only four years ago Left Front was in power and the 2018 elections were between the Left Front and BJP. Within four years Congress which virtually nowhere in 2018 managed to raise its position to second.
As the results came, Dr Manik Saha defeated his nearest rival Congress candidate Asish Saha in 8-Bordowali with a margin of 6,104 votes. Dr. Saha got a total 17,181 (16870+ 311 postal ballots) while Ashis Kumar Saha got 11077 (10930+147 postal ballots) votes. Sanhita Banerjee of Trinamool Congress got total 986 (973+13) and Left Front’s Forward Bloc candidate Raghunath Sarkar had to be satisfied with 3376 (3298+ 78).
Apart from 8 Bordowali where Chief Minister was fighting, all eyes were set in 6 Agartala where Congress fielded Sudip Roy Barman. Here Roy Barman beat BJP candidate Dr Ashok Sinha. Roy Barman secured 17431 votes while Dr. Ashok Sinha got 14268 votes. CPM’s Krishna Majumder 6,808 and Trinamool Congress nominee Panna Deb got 842 votes.
In 46 Surma BJP had to fight TIPRA Motha and CPM. But here also ultimately BJP candidate Swapna Das Pal returned so did Malina Debnath of Jubarajnagar.
